South Lyon pharmacist's license remains suspended

Nov. 28, 2013

Written by

Ann Zaniewski and Tammy Stables Battaglia

Detroit Free Press Staff Writers

A judge has decided that a pharmacist’s license should remain suspended, at least for now, following the discovery of tainted compounded products from his South Lyon pharmacy.

Pharmacist Kenny Walkup Jr.’s license was suspended and Specialty Medicine Compounding Pharmacy was closed days after mold particles were found in what was supposed to be a sterile dextrose solution the pharmacy mixed and gave to a Henry Ford Health System hospital in October.

Following a hearing this week, Michigan Administrative Law Judge David Cohen issued an order saying there was enough evidence “to support a finding that the public health, safety or welfare requires emergency action and a continuation of the Order of Summary Suspension.” A full hearing will be held on the matter in January.

Walkup’s attorney, Robert Iwrey, could not immediately be reached for comment late Wednesday. He previously said that the source of the contamination is unclear.

“As we sit here today, no one’s tested my client’s facility to determine if the mold or fungi occurred (there). …It’s certainly possible that the contamination came from where that pharmacy purchased the active ingredients. No one’s done testing there,” he said. “It’s possible it occurred at my client’s pharmacy. It’s also possible that it could have occurred at Henry Ford. No one has conclusively proven anything otherwise.”

Testimony at the hearing, which was held Tuesday, focused on the sterility of the South Lyon facility and whether Walkup and the pharmacy were licensed to mix products in bulk.

Vaughn Hafner, a pharmacy inspector and investigator for the state, testified he saw “flakey, green stuff” in the dextrose solution provided to the Henry Ford Health System facility. When he checked the pharmacy’s records, it didn’t show that Walkup and the pharmacy were testing properly to ensure mixing areas were sterile.

The hearing was held following the pharmacy’s request that the Order of Summary Suspension be dissolved. Cohen noted in court records that the request was withdrawn during the hearing.